Blog O' Day Challenge- Day 28, 29 & 30

  I'm Participating in the Blog- o' -Day Challenge here's a link back to muppin.com for the link-up;

https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/ 

Day 28 - Skill to improve...

Hand quilting!  I have not hand quilted anything for a very long time.  I think hand quilting is one of those skills that if you don't use it the skill fades,  I need to exercise my fingers and get back into it!  I like hand quilting I find it very relaxing  but I'm so slow at it!  I The barriers to practice are two fold: I like to quilt on a stand alone frame and that takes up a lot of room so I have to find the time and space to do that.  My general quilting process is also more quantity oriented than 'authentic' oriented so using a Longarm machine to quilt suits those quantity needs better than hand quilting.  Maybe 2022 will be the year to get out the frame and hand quilt again.  We shall see!

Day 29 & 30 - My last 2021  Project and My first Project for 2022...

My last project for 2021 and my first project for 2022 has got to be this project!  I have entered it to be in the my local guild Quilt Show in late Feb.  I have been working on it and if I could just get the color balanced on the outer border I could probably get the top finished pretty quickly.  I'm going to blame the Holidays (and maybe some procrastinations sprinkled in there).   Anywho, I'm pretty sure I can get it done by the end of Feb.

Well we are all getting close with the blog o' day and the end of the year!

Wahoo!

take care, cw

 

  Blog O' Day Challenge- Day 25, 26, 27

  I'm Participating in the Blog- o' -Day Challenge here's a link back to moppin.com for the link-up;

https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/   

Day 25 - I have a massive amount of scraps!  I keep them organized in bankers boxes based on Genre' mostly .  Here's my  '30's  box o' scraps,  Other boxes include Kids's fabrics, denim, light flannel, and dark flannel scraps just to name a few. 

Smaller collections of scraps go in plastic baskets that I can stack and see into so I don't need to label them.  Red scraps on the right and the basket on the upper left is all Valentine scraps / fabrics. 

 A lot of my UFO's are organized like this as well and often the scraps co-mingle with the UFO's.  (Sounds kinda nasty but it's all very innocent).  Here's  how they are stored:

I know it does not look super tidy but I can generally find whatever I'm looking for and I don't need to have labels or spend a lot of time sorting or organizing.  It's all very visual.

Day 26 - My favorite presser foot would have to be # 37.  That's Bernina's 1/4" foot.  I use it alllllll the time.  I do like my walking foot too.  I use it for quilting, darning, putting on bindings and sewing sheer fabrics and knits. 

Day 27 - Techniques to Try, hmmm,  I don't know.  I've been sewing a long time but I still don't know what some of the various feet are that go with my Bernina.  I don't do a lot of garment sewing anymore which is what most of those gizmos are for.  But there are always more techniques to learn, for sure!!!!

Well,  I don't know about you but these HOLIDAYs have been whizzing by.  I hope you all are getting a little rest in;  here and there?!  take care, cw

Christmas Eve

 Blog O' Day Challenge- Day 24

  I'm Participating in the Blog- o' -Day Challenge here's a link back to moppin.com for the link-up;

https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/   

Catch up on Days 22, 23, and 24

Day 22-  I like all kinds of music and  listen to all kinds of music. But when I really want to concentrate I listen to Baroque music by people Bach, Handel and Vivaldi.  I've been told that something about the rhythm of that music helps ones concentration and it's just really beautiful music.

Day 23-  I generally do not prewash.  I figure most new fabrics these days are really pretty color fast and the shrinkage is really minimal.  So why waste time and energy laundering and ironing extra?   If it's one off those fabrics that looks like it might run I'll take a little snip and test it and if it runs I'll will wash it in Synthrapole (sp) which is a liquid soap that fixes dye.  But I've had very little trouble with shrinkage.  The two exception hand dyed fabrics and yarn dyed plaids which I wash in Synthrapole.

Day 24- I try to tidy up my work table at the end of every session.  The rest of my space may be in chaos but I try to clear off my work table so when I come into my sewing room  the next time there's a little space of calm.  I'm away from home right now or I would post a picture.  I also like to vacuum and tidy -up before I leave town so right now my sewing room looks relatively picked-up.  It's nice to come home to a clean space!

More Random photos...

I bought a gizmo recently that digitalizes slides and negatives.  I have been going through all my parents many many slide carousels.  My father was an Engineer so he always had the latest gadget so we have slides dating back to the early 50's.  A lot of them are pictures of scenery because we went on a lot of road trips in those days but there are some of us kids.  Here are a couple of Christmas pix from my new / old  archives.  

Christmas is certainly a nostalgic time.  I remember scenes like this so vividly.  The excitement of getting the tree and decorating it!  Hanging the stockings!

I wonder what my sister was saying to us that we were attending so closely?

My grandmother was not much of a seamstress but she made theses stocking for us with great care. You can see the state of Illinois on my sister's stocking. She put the state of our birth on each of our stockings.   This was probably xmas 1958 or 1959.

I hope you all have Happy Winter Holidays however you plan to celebrate!

take care, cw

Top 5 Gift Ideas

 Blog O' Day Challenge- Day 21

  I'm Participating in the Blog- o' -Day Challenge here's a link back to moppin.com for the link-up;

https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/  

Top 5 gift ideas

I really like to make  gifts for my family and friends at Holiday times.  Quilts are nice if it's a special occasion, new baby, wedding Birthday etc.  But for the Winter Holidays I usually make small items like pot holders, Aprons, hats, mufflers, and caps.  On Dec. 16 I posted a picture of a small wall hanging I made for my son this year and Dec, 18th a cap for his wife.  Those were easy 'cause they asked for those things.  We don't really do lavish gift giving in my family so little home made things are perfect to say "Happy Holidays and I love you!". 

Here's a little crib quilt that I recently finished quilting for a friend.  I'll bind it and it will be donated to the  local neonatal ward. 

I used a lovely soft flannel for the backing 

And a fluffy wool batting

Should make a wonderful warm wrap for a new baby!

I hope all your Holiday shopping is going well! 

Take care, cw

 

On The Design Wall...

 Blog O' Day Challenge- Day 19

  I'm Participating in the Blog- o' -Day Challenge here's a link back to moppin.com for the link-up;

https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/  

On the design Wall...

I often have more than one project on my design wall.  Such is the case today.  I removed the center of my Orphan Block project which is all sewn together, 'cause I needed space for this little project in the middle.  I'm still struggling with the Orphan Block borders so I thought starting this little Challenge Project might provide a distraction.

The Challenge theme is "Monterey Bay Life".  Anything to do with life in the Monterey Bay, It's rather broad.  I bought this Beach Scene fabric recently so I thought I'd try to incorporate that into the design.

The perspective is really off but I was determined to use that fabric!

I even went to the Beach yesterday to get some inspiration...

Where are the people!  LOL

Anyway,  these were the fabrics  we were given with the instructions to use as much as possible.

The green for the plants and the yellow for the sand was an easy application. The white background I rolled kind of like piping for foam for the waves.  I considered using the batik for the sky but it just had tooo much yellow in it.  So that's going to be the border.  I know that's kind of a cop-out but it actually looks pretty good!

I hope to get the top done today so's I can get back to the bigger project.

The Quilt Show is at the end of Feb. so I think I can get this all cleared off the design wall by then!

I hope you all have a Peaceful Sunday!

take care, cw

"if I Could Sew with...

Blog O' Day Challenge- Day 18

  I'm Participating in the Blog- o' -Day Challenge here's a link back to moppin.com for the link-up;

https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/  

If I could take a class with Nancy Crow I would like to do that.  I have heard from people who have taken classes with Nancy Crow that she is a very challenging teacher.  I think at this point a good kick-in-the-pants to Up My Game would be a great experience!  I did visit her web site at some point in the past year or so but her classes were all booked way in advance, cost A LOT and it's far to go ( she's in Ohio and I'm in California).  Kind of a long way to travel for a good kick in the pants!  LOL   But maybe I should really look into it...

Another short post.  More random photos to entertain ...

My Daughter in-law is a Nurse Anesthetist and she says when your all dressed up for surgery the only way to tell one  person from another in the surgery room is your cap.  She likes to where seasonal fabric caps to jazz things up so I made her this xmas fabric cap for Dec.

I make these caps reversible.  Since they need a lining I figure why not make it decorative!

This Santa fabric is a real hoot!  Deep Sea Diving Santa and his reindeer!  

Who'd thought?

I really like making Holiday gifts!

I think it's a great way to say "I love You!''

Happy Holiday sewing!

take care, cw

Favorite Sewlebrity

Blog O' Day Challenge- Day 17

  I'm Participating in the Blog- o' -Day Challenge here's a link back to moppin.com for the link-up;

https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/ 

 Favorite Sewlebrity

...Would probably be Gwen Marston.  I was lucky enough to see her speak in person a number of times and take several of her classes.  She was a natural speaker with a great sense of humor always able to     ad-lib and her quilts she shared were so wonderful and varied.  She was a great teacher!  She always had a stack of mini quilts (mostly hand quilted) to illustrate whatever design idea she was teaching and she was always encouraging to her students.  Gwen's style certainly influence me as a quilter.   Her Liberated style really allowed me to grow and experiment in my own quilt journey.  

Well another short post.  I will add some more random photos for your visual entertainment...

Here are a few quilts I've made that were influenced by Gwen's Liberated style.

Happy Holidays! cw

A Little Catch-up

Blog O' Day Challenge- Day 16

  I'm Participating in the Blog- o' -Day Challenge here's a link back to moppin.com for the link-up;

https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/

 I've been pretty busy the last couple of days so I've missed a few days.  Here's a brief Catch-up:

Day 14 - My Stash

...Is large!  I like all kinds of quilts and I make all kinds of quilt so I have all kinds of fabrics.  Reproductions, Asian, Batiks, modern, solids brights, darks etc. Right now my stash is a big mess.  It would take awhile to tidy it up so I'm not going to show any pictures, sorry.  I always say if I made a quilt everyday for the rest of my life I probably would not run out of fabric!  But it's like collecting stamps if you see it and you like it you gotta have it for your 'collection' LOL

Day 15- My earliest sewing memory

My earliest sewing memory was probably around age 5 or 6 and I was sewing Doll clothes with my sister (2 years older).  Our mom had given us a small bag of scraps and we were making 'skirts' by  cutting rectangles large enough to wrap around the dolls, sew a side seam and fasten with a button.   I finished what I was sewing and proudly showed it to my sister.  She said it was sloppy and it wouldn't do.  I think this was the beginning of my resistance to Back Stitching! 

Day 16 - Why do I sew?

I love sewing and I love fabric and I love the creativity of making things and giving them  to all the people I love!  

Well,  not a very long post and no visuals so I will end with some random pix just for fun!

My son collected this little souvenir towel when he was in Japan and he asked me to make a wall hanging with it.  I finished it a week or so ago so I could get it mailed off in time for xmas.

Different fighting / holds and positions of Sumo wrestlers

I found some Asian style fabric with tea pots  etc. Perfect for the backing!

This is a perfect example of a fabric I just bought 'cause I liked it and it ended up being just right for this project!

I hope all your Holiday projects are going well!

take care, cw

My Least Favorite Color

Blog O' Day Challenge- Day 13

  I'm Participating in the Blog- o' -Day Challenge here's a link back to moppin.com for the link-up;

https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/

Today's topic - My Least Favorite Color 

If you asked me a couple of years ago "what's your least favorite color?'  I probably would have said a color I call 'Yucky Brown'.   I had a huge stack of Orphan blocks that fit into this ugly Color category.  But I felt obliged to work with the blocks since they had been given to me for the purpose of making donation quilts.  Nothing like a little personal challenge to open ones own bias!

I found in the course of playing with these "ugly' blocks that there were many shades of 'yucky brown' but by grouping some of these blocks together the contrast was not bad.   Here's my first attempt:

Well it might not win any ribbons at the County Fair but it makes a decent lap quilt for donation and I saved some Orphan blocks from Block Purgatory!  LOL  

Encouraged by this result I went back to that pile of blocks and made two more lap quilts.

Of course the yucky browns kind of range from redish- brown to orange -brown and different sashing helped pull some of these blocks together.

I think this one below is my favorite. There's a lot going on in this little quilt.  I count about 15 different contributors to this quilt.  A happy ending for some 'yucky brown' Orphan Blocks!

These are all 36" by 48" the size the Vets program requests for wheelchair bound Vets.

So I guess 'yucky Browns' aren't so ugly when you put them in the right company and I learned a lot about my own bias and it was FUN!

To be honest I'm still a little shy of Orange.  But not because I don't like it,  but it's just so LOUD.

A little goes a long way! 

This Blog O' Day is fun I haven't posted this much in years!

I think I'm going to go sew now...

take care, cw

My Favorite Color

 Blog O' Day Challenge- Day 12

  I'm Participating in the Blog- o' -Day Challenge here's a link back to moppin.com for the link-up;

https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/

Day 12- My Favorite color

I don't really think I have a favorite color anymore.  If you asked me when I was five I would  not hessitate to say PINK!   I probably would have liked this quilt A Lot!

When I was in middle school I probably would have said Purple, green and blue.

In High School things got a little muddled (it was the 60's) all I wore was blue jeans and work shirts...

I suppose now I pretty much use all colors in my quilt making depending on the intended use of the quilt, who it's going to or whatever design idea I'm reaching for.

I probably still use more cool colors than warm but if you look at the quilt I'm working on now (see yesterdays post) even that is changing.

I do like working with modern color schemes, everything looks great with white or grey!

I hope your Holidays are going well.

take care, cw

Most Influential Class

Blog O' Day Challenge - day 11

  I'm Participating in the Blog- o' -Day Challenge here's a link back to moppin.com for the link-up;

https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/

 Most Influential Class

When I first got really serious about quilting in the mid 1990's I took every class I could fit in my schedule.. I took a lot of classes mostly to learn techniques , not necessarily to make whatever the quilt,  that was the end product;   It became clear pretty quick that if I kept going like that I would end up with a lot of UFOs.  So I decided to take the same basket of fabric to a number of classes so that all the different things I was making would coordinate in Color.

During this time I was lucky enough to take a 2 day workshop with Ruth McDowell called "Planning for Piecing".  She reviewed a whole list of techniques that she uses to make her incredible Art quilts and then let use loose to apply the techniques to whatever drawing we had brought.  I still have the drawing that I brought to class.  I did not get very far with it but I use all those techniques all the time.  It really gave me confidence to tackle whatever piecing challenge I wanted.  So armed with what I learned in Ruth's class and my basket of random units from different classes I made this quilt.

                

This represents three classes beside Ruth's.  The drunkard path blocks was one class,  the New York beauties was another and the border pieces was a third.   I learned a lot making this quilt.  It was the beginning of a long series of Composite quilts that I'm still working on now like the one I posted a pic of a couple of days ago...

I've done some work on it since that last picture.  I think I might get it done this month!  Yipee!

Have a great Saturday!

take care, cw

Top 5 Books

 I'm Participating in the Blog- o' -Day Challenge here's a link back to moppin.com for the link-up;

https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/

Top 5 Books...

Weeellllll,  I couldn't really narrow it down to just five books but I've tried to organize some of my favorite authors / books into a fairly brief overview. 

 This book was the first quilt book I ever bought.  It was first published by Marshall Cavendish Limited in the UK in 1970 and then in the US by Exeter Books in 1977.  This printing is from 1980.  For it's time it is a very thorough exploration of the world of quilting. 

I still visit it fairly often to look at certain pictures like this one.  I don't know if this was in the 1970 printing but I have seen it in a 1977 edition and it was there.  In any case I think it's an incredibly beautiful and innovative quilt for any time!

I would have to say this next author / teacher was probably the most influential for me in  both those rolls.  Gweny was a great writer and teacher and she was just an all round wonderful person;  Talented and innovative and funny all at the same time!   As you can see I have a whole stack of her books.

Another influence in my path to learning how to design quilts were these two books by Roberta Horton.  

An Amish Adventure was first published in 1993.    Along with books by Elenor Burns  I learned how to use strip piecing to save time and make lots more quilts!  Techniques I still use all the time!   And in a largely Dyed -to- match world  Roberta's book, "Scrap Quilts, The Art of Making Do" really help me see even Ugly fabrics have potential!

Besides books on technique and design Some of my favorite quilt books are about the history of quilting.  I am a huge fan of Barbara Brackman and I have a number of her books:

"Clues in the Calico"  is my quilt history bible.   I refer to it all the time.  I also follow all of Barbara's blogs.  I learn so much from them, not just quilt history but American History, Art History and just all the interesting side information that she writes about along the way.

I stumble upon this book by Paul Pilgrim. and Gerald Roy maybe a year or so ago.  Paul Pilgrim was the maker of the quilts in this book and Gerald Roy provided the background information.  Sadly Paul Pilgrim died shortly after he finish the last of these quilts so he never saw the book published .  But there was a Memorial exhibit of these quilts at the Museum of American Quilter's Society in April of 1997.

It was very affirming for me to see these quilts because I had been using Orphan Blocks to make quilts for a while but I always felt kind of like it was a side show not to be taken to seriously.   But here was this famous designer playing around with some of the same ideas!

This last book really blew my mind the first time I saw it in the Guild Library!  It was maybe 1998 or 1999?  It was originally published in 1987 long before Gees Bend was well known.  But here were all these amazing quilters in the Bay Area who Eli Leon recognized were so talented and he collected their work enthusiastically (over 300 quilts) and then curated a show at the San Fransisco Folk Art Museum in 1987!

I'm a visual person so looking at pictures of quilts is my idea of first class fun and I could go on and on but I'll leave it there.

Take care, cw

Favorite Tip

I'm Participating in the Blog- o' -Day Challenge here's a link back to moppin.com for the link-up;

https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/

Good Morning!  I hope you all are well and safe and ready to sew!!  I think even after all these years of sewing my favorite tip is still boils down to one principle.  Cut a little bigger-sew-and trim to size.  I'm not a really fussy sewer on any level but I do pride myself on being an accurate piecer.  And you'd be surprised how much  goes into that.

For a couple of years I coordinated the Block of the Month for my local Guild and I posted instructions for most every Block.  Here's a post from a Block that I featured tips on accurate piecing.  Have fun!

https://cspoonquilt.blogspot.com/2015/06/june-bom-accurate-piecing-continuing.html

Here's a pic of the Block in the finished top:

Have a great Day, see you tomorrow!  cw

Blog a' Day Challenge

 I just discovered this Challenge today https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/  I am woefully out of step with my blogging habits but I was inspired by the idea of the Challenge and happy to find that I could still link-up.  So I'm going to give it a try and since I'm already 8 days behind I thought I do a quick 'catch up' post based on the first 8 days of prompts.  Here goes...

Introduction

I like all kinds of quilts and I make all kinds of quilts but I am easily distracted so sometimes there are long stretches of no activity!   A quick tour of my blog History shows ample evidence of that!  LOL   But seriously,  Quilting in all it's forms gives me great pleasure. creative satisfaction and comfort!   

My Sewing Space...

IS A MESS !!!!   But I am so grateful to have a whole big room all my own!!!!   When I got my first Longarm I'm pretty sure the main reason my Husband had the back shed renovated was to get my sewing stuff out of the Dining room which I had completely taken over!  

My Machine

When I really got serious about quilting in the mid '90's I bought this lovely machine and it's still my favorite for most sewing chores.  It does all kinds of fancy things but I mostly just piece on it and sew bindings etc.  But I do like and use some of the fancy stitches like the button hole for machine embroidery and applique.

But I would like to pay homage to this beauty,  which is the sewing machine I learned how to sew on.  When My great Grandma came to live with my mother's family my Grandpa bought this machine for her in the early 1930's.  I am very grateful that I inherited it!  I have had it refinished and the machine serviced so it is in good working order.  I figure when the power grid dies I can always use this machine!

       

        

My Favorite Tool                                                                                                                         

I guess that would have to be my Longarm!  It enables me to finish lots of bed size quilts with ease.  This is actually a picture of my first Longarm machine, Nellybell!    The quilt I was working on here was 104" square!   No way would I ever have finished it on my short arm machine!

My First Project                                                                                                                                     

I can't believe I actually had the presence of mind to take a picture of this little quilt!  I guess I was pretty proud of myself!  LOL  That was 1979!  I  actually did not make the blocks.  A friend bought them from this little old lady who use to sell quilts by displaying them draped over the bushes in front of her house.

My friend stop to admire her work.  She could not afford to buy a quilt but she bought these blocks 'cause the lady was so sweet and she felt bad for taking up her time'. The problem was my friend didn't sew!  So she gave them to me as a Birthday present.  I thought that was pretty funny 'cause I didn't know what to do with them.   Several years later when my first friend to have a baby was expecting  they came in quite Handy!

After that I made baby quilts for all my friends with new babies!

My oldest UFO                                                                                                                                    

So when I had my first child I had a Block party and my friends made blocks for me and I sewed them into a quilt which my son still has (he's now 36).  Then when I had my daughter I was really into Silk painting so I had my friends make Silk painted blocks.  Trouble is I'm still not sure how to finish it.  My daughter is 32!

My Dream Project                                                                                                     

I think my dream project is which ever one I am currently working on and most motivated to finish!  That would currently be this mess!  It is what I call a 'Composite quilt'.  The center and next border are all Orphan blocks.  The outer border is all scrappy units made using what I call Scrap Strategies.  I'm really motivated to finish it so I can put it in my  local Guild's Quilt Show in Feb. 2022.  We hope to be an In person show this year ... We shall see.

Skills I Wish I Had                                                                                                                                

I wish my hand work skills were better and I were more patient.  I love the look of embroidery and hand applique but I'm not very good at it and that is frustrating.  So I tend to avoid it and keep machine sewing away.  But a skill doesn't get much better if you don't practice it, right?

Well I think that brings me up-to-date.  I hope you are all enjoying the Winter Holiday Season and not going to Nuts!  See you tomorrow!  take care, CW